General Overview

Livingston County, formed from parts of Genesee and Ontario counties in 1821, is home to some of the region’s most picturesque Finger Lakes landscapes, as well as the highly ranked liberal arts college SUNY Geneseo.

Letchworth State Park, popularly referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East”, is a 14,000-acre destination that boasts a diverse range of terrain, hiking trails, and other outdoors activities. Letchworth was given the USA Today Reader’s Choice award in 2015 for best state park in the nation.

Livingston County has had growth in many sectors of the economy and falling crime rates over the past decade, despite the economic downturn caused by the recession of 2008. The teen pregnancy rate in the county is the lowest in the region at 0.9%. Livingston had one of the highest graduation rates in the region in 2016 at 89%, but performance on state tests was mixed.

Demographic Overview

Livingston County's population grew by 0.6% between 2000 and 2015, versus an increase of 1.4% for the region, 4.3% for the state and 14% for the nation. In 2015, Livingston County was home to just over 64,700 residents, or about 5% of the total regional population.

Similar to other counties in the upstate region, Livingston County has an aging population:

Between 2000 and 2015, the number of residents younger than 20 years declined 17% and the 20-to-39 range declined 11%.

The number of adults 85+ increased 58%, greater than the 39% for the region and the state, and 48% in the nation.

The 40-to-59 age group has become the largest in the county, accounting for 28% of the county's population, close to the 27% share for both the state and nation.

The 60-84 age group grew by 53% from 2000 to 2015, well above the region, state, and every other county besides Ontario.

With the Baby Boomers approaching retirement, Livingston County will face a growing need for sufficient elder care and support services.

Despite an increase in the number of Hispanic and Asian residents, Livingston County remains overwhelmingly white:

From 2000 to 2015 the Hispanic population grew by 63% and the small Asian population grew by 85%; over the same period, the white and African American populations both fell by 1%.

Whites made up 94% of the population in 2015, while African Americans and Hispanics each had a share of 3% and 4%, respectively.

In 2011-15, 31% of Livingston County households were comprised of married couples without children, 19% were married couples with children, and 27% were people living alone. Livingston’s share of households living with relatives (4%) was lower than the state, nation, region, and every regional county, while its share of households living with nonrelatives, at 8%, was higher than the state, nation, and region.

Arts, Culture, and Leisure

Livingston County attracted less tourism spending per capita than all other counties in the region besides Orleans and Wayne. In 2015, tourism spending amounted to $751 per resident, for a countywide total of $48.6 million. Livingston’s rate was below the region ($1,290) and state ($3,186).

In 2015, recreational spending per resident was tied for the lowest in the region ($20) with Wayne County. It was also less than a third of the regional rate ($70) and well below the state rate of $331.

Children and Youth

From 2000 to 2014, the share of mothers receiving prenatal care in the first trimester fell by 2.6 points to 78%. It currently stands above the state (75%) but below the region (79%).

While not as severe as the state, nation, and region, the child poverty rate in Livingston County has risen from 10% in 2000 to 19% in 2011-15:

Livingston’s rate rose by just 3 points from 2000 to 2006-10, and by 6 points from 2006-10 to 2011-15. This was a larger increase over that period than the state (2 points), nation (5), region (7), and every other county in the region except for Genesee.

Single parent families have also been on the rise in Livingston:

The proportion of families raised by single parents rose by 8 points from 28% in 2000 to 36% in 2011-15, equal to the increase in the region and surrounding counties but greater than the state and national increase of 4 and 6 points, respectively.

In 2011-15, Livingston’s rate was similar to the nation (35%) and state (37%) and lower than the region (39%).

In 2015, Livingston had an increase in rate of foster care admissions:

Livingston’s rate in 2015 was 3.3 admissions per 1,000 children – higher than both the state (2.1) and region (2.2), but still lower than the nation (5.6).

The rate – partly due to a small number of total admissions – has fluctuated substantially over the years since 2000, but the total number of admissions currently stands at 18% above its total in 2000. This compares to a drop in the region, state and surrounding counties over the same timeframe.

Livingston’s rate of child abuse and neglect in 2015 (19 per 1,000 children) was higher than the state and region but lower than all of the counties in the region except Monroe. The rate has increased 34% since 2000, above the regional increase of 11%.

The proportion of low birth weight babies has remained fairly steady – between 5% and 7% - between 2000 and 2014. In 2014, 4.2% of births are low-weight in Livingston, below the region and state (both at 7.8%), and nation (8%).

Livingston County had the lowest teen pregnancy rate in the region (0.9%) in 2014. In the years since 2000 – during which the rate fell by 70% - Livingston’s rate has consistently been below the state, region, and most other counties in the region.

Community Engagement

In 2015, voter registration in Livingston County (74%) was below the regional rate (78%) but about even with the overall state rate.

In the 2012 presidential election, voter turnout was 51%, a lower rate in Livingston than the prior two presidential elections. Livingston County had a lower rate of voter turnout than the region (55%) and nation (54%), but exceeding the state rate of 46%. Livingston’s turnout rate for the 2014 midterm elections was 36%, the lowest of the past four midterm elections, but still above the state (25%) and region (35%).

Livingston County’s registered borrowers was the second lowest in the region:

In 2015, 42% of Livingston’s county library system were registered borrowers, below the state (57%) and region (64%), and every county in the region except Wyoming.

The number of library visits have more than doubled since 2000, higher than the state, region, and all counties in the region in that timeframe.

Following the regional trend, average charitable giving in Livingston County decreased from 2002 to 2013. The average annual charitable contribution in 2013 was about $2,658, below the regional level of $3,409 and the state level of $5,516, and a decline of 4% from 2002 levels.

Economy

Like the state, region, and nation, Livingston’s unemployment rate soared during the Great Recession and its aftermath. While it has recovered somewhat, it is only one point higher than in 2000:

Unemployment jumped from 4.9% in 2007 to a high of 8.4% in 2009, but has since fallen to 5.4% in 2015. The total increase from 2000 to 2015 of 1.3 points is the same as the nation but larger than the state.

Livingston’s rate in 2015 was similar to the nation, state (both 5.3%), and region (5.2%).

Livingston’s job growth since 2001 has lagged behind the nation and state, but outperformed some in the region. Some sectors did better than others:

Livingston has seen a decrease in total job growth of 2% from 2000 to 2015, below the regional, state, and national rates (2%, 16% and 15% respectively).

Livingston’s total number of jobs fell less (8%) than the nation (23%), state (33%), and region (34%) in the Manufacturing sector, and grew more than the state, nation, and region in the Construction, Education, and Financial Activities sectors. Livingston’s Information sector jobs grew modestly (3%) from 2001 to 2015, in stark contrast to double-digit declines in the state, nation, region, and each county in the region except Wyoming.

Job growth in Livingston was outperformed by the state and nation in the Health Care sector.

Average salaries have grown at a rate far behind the nation and state, but ahead of the region, from 2000:

The average salary in Livingston County, adjusted for inflation, has grown by 4.4% from 2000 to 2015. While similar to the regional rate, Livingston’s rate was lower than the nation and state. Livingston has performed particularly poorly when compared to the surrounding counties as a whole (17% increase in salary).

Livingston’s average salary in 2015, at $36,900, was the second lowest in the region after Yates and was well below the region ($47,100), state ($67,500), and nation ($52,900).

Education

Livingston County has made great progress in prekindergarten participation, but still lags behind the state and region:

Livingston’s rate of participation was lower than the state (47%) and the region (42%) in 2015. Its increase of 30 points was lower than the state and region (33 and 31 points).

Passing rates for the Common-Core aligned tests were generally better than the state and the region in math:

Livingston had the highest passing rate (26%) in the region in 8th grade math in 2016, and was level with the state in 8th grade English (41% passing).

Livingston’s 34% pass rate in 2016 for 3rd grade English was lower than the state and region and the 4th grade math passing rate of 47% was about just above the state and the region.

Livingston students passed Common Core-aligned Regents tests at higher rates than the state and region, with 94% passing English and 84% passing Algebra 1 in 2016.

Livingston had among the highest graduation rates in the region in 2016 at 89%; this is an increase of 4 points from 2008. The graduation rate in 2016 was above the state (81%) and region (84%).

Livingston adults were less educated than the state and region:

In 2011-15, 55% of adults had attended at least some college, below the state and national rates of 59% and the regional rate of 61%.

Livingston’s most educated – those with a bachelor’s degree or higher – made up just 24% of the population, as compared to 30% for the nation, 34% for the state, and 31% for the region.

Per-student spending on education (this includes instruction, administration, transportation, etc.) has risen by 51% from 2000 to $20,700 in 2015. This was about level with the region but below the state ($22,600).

Financial Self-Sufficiency

Livingston has seen its median income drop since 2000:

From 2000 to 2011-15, Livingston’s median income fell by 14% to $51,700, compared to national and statewide decreases of 10% and 4% respectively. Within the region, only Wayne and Monroe counties had larger decreases in their income over that time period.

Livingston’s median income in 2011-15 was below the national ($53,900), state ($59,300), and regional ($52,300) levels. These income trends were also found during 2006-10.

Livingston’s poverty rate has increased steadily since 2000:

In 2011-15, the poverty rate in Livingston was 15%, slightly below the state (16%), on par with the nation, and above the region (14%).

The total increase since 2000 of 4 points was above the national and state increases, but equal to regional estimates over that period.

The percentage of people receiving temporary assistance has increased by almost 1 point from 2001 to 2015, more than the state and the region:

Every county (besides Wyoming and Monroe) in the region saw an increase in their rates from 2001 to 2015, but the increase has been largest in Livingston. For comparison, over that period, the state rate decreased 0.7 points and the region’s rate increased 0.3.

Livingston’s rate of 2.3% in 2015 is lower than the state and region but higher than many of the counties surrounding Monroe.

The rate of people receiving emergency meals has grown but remains comparatively low:

In 2015, there were 4.9 emergency meals served per resident in Livingston, well below the state (7.1), region (7.0), and every other county in the region.

The rate has more than tripled from 2000 to 2015, a larger increase than the state and region.

Health

The rate of uninsured has fallen and is lower than the state, region and nation:

In 2014, 7% of Livingston residents were uninsured, well below the national (14%) and state (10%) rates and on par with the region.

Livingston’s rate has fallen by 4 points from 2008, in-line with rate decreases in the nation, state and region.

The mortality rate in Livingston has fallen more than the region and state:

In 2014, the mortality rate was 592 per 100,000 residents, below the state rate of 618 and regional rate of 685.

The rate fell by 34% from 2000 to 2014, a steeper drop than in the region, state and any county in the region.

The percent of Livingston County residents enrolled in Medicaid in 2015 – 13% - was lower than the state, region, and every regional county except Wyoming.

The number of people admitted into alcohol and substance abuse treatment programs rose 60% from 2007 to 2015, as compared to decreases in the state and region.

Housing

Median home values have stayed flat in Livingston, in contrast to large increases for state and the nation:

From 2000 to 2011-15, the median home value in Livingston remained essentially unchanged, rising slightly from $118,800 to $121,200. This compares to a 16% increase nationally and a 39% increase statewide during that period.

The regional median and most county medians fell slightly from 2000 to 2011-15.

In 2011-15, the median home value in Livingston was lower than the median value in the region ($128,700), state ($283,400), and the nation ($178,600).

The median rent has fallen by 6.3% from 2000 to 2011-15. In 2011-15, the median was $721, compared to $928 nationally, $1,132 for the state, and $789 for the region.

Housing is particularly affordable in Livingston:

Despite rising by 13% from 2000 to 2011-15, the ratio of median home value to median household income (which is a measure of housing affordability) was equal to the region (1.9), but lower than the state (3.5) and nation (2.6).

The ratio rose less in Livingston from 2000 to 2011-15 than the nation (up 23%), state (43%), and region (17%).

The share of household income that went to rent was 34% in 2011-15, slightly above the national rate (33%) but below the state (36%) and regional (35%) figures. Like many regional counties, the state, and nation, the Livingston rate rose from 2000 to 2011-15.

In 2011-15, Livingston’s homeownership rate was 73%, similar to rates in surrounding counties, but higher than the rates for the state (54%), nation (64%) and region (68%).

Public Safety

Serious crimes have fallen and remain relatively low in Livingston:

From 2000 to 2015, the rate of serious crimes in the region dropped 44% - more than the state, nation, and region - to 136 per 10,000 residents.

In 2015, Livingston’s rate was below the national rate of 286, the state rate of 196, and the regional rate of 231.

Livingston’s violent crime rate has fallen 14% since 2000 and stands lower than the nation, state, and region:

The rate of 12 per 10,000 residents in 2015 was a 62% increase from 2014, much greater than increases in the nation and state (both 3%), region (17%), and every county except Wayne.

Livingston’s rate was the second-lowest in the region in 2015 and has consistently remained below state, national, and regional rates.

The rate of property crime was also low, at 125 per 10,000 in 2015, and has fallen by 45% since 2000.

Juvenile delinquency intakes in Livingston County have declined 58% since 2000, compared to a 53% decline in the region. In 2015, there were 65 intakes per 10,000 children (ages 7-16), higher than the region (56) and state (51), and similar to the surrounding counties (66) as a whole.

Livingston had a relatively low rate of responses to 911 calls in 2015 (4,370 per 10,000 residents). The 8% decrease in response rate since 2004 is in contrast to an 8% increase in the region and 52% in the surrounding counties.

Note: Data research and analysis completed by the Center for Governmental Research